Over the past several years, the partnership between Trinity College and the Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy (HMTCA) has expanded in both scope and impact. Established in 2011 with the shared goal of bridging social and educational divides between the College and its neighboring public magnet school, the partnership has since evolved into a model of collaborative, community-engaged education. This work reflects the mission of Trinity’s Center for Hartford Engagement and Research (CHER), which aims to foster deeper relationships between the College and community institutions through reciprocal, mutually beneficial initiatives.
A central component of this partnership is the TRIN–HMTCA Tutoring Program, an after-school collaboration in which Trinity undergraduates provide academic support and enrichment to HMTCA middle and high school students. The program enhances academic confidence and achievement among participating HMTCA students while offering Trinity students valuable experiential learning in teaching, mentorship, youth development, and community engagement. As an HMTCA seventh-grader explains, “Tutors are really helpful because they are good at explaining the homework, and the program helps me manage my time and get my work done.” Her reflection highlights the program’s dual emphasis on academic skill development and comprehensive student support.
In addition to the tutoring program, the partnership has developed the Trinity Mentor Program. This program extends the tutoring program’s collaborative model by pairing HMTCA students enrolled in Trinity College courses with undergraduate mentors who guide navigating the academic expectations and social environment of a college setting. Over the past three years, the number of Trinity courses available to HMTCA students has increased from eight to nineteen, and student enrollment has grown from nine students in 2021 to twenty-three students today. This sustained growth demonstrates the program’s increasing relevance and impact.
‘I enjoy the program (TRIN-HMTCA) because working with middle and high school students allows me to build relationships beyond the campus and get assimilated within the Hartford community” – Leenah Gibbs ‘2027
Another significant development is the establishment of the Writing Center at HMTCA, created through a collaboration between CHER and Trinity’s Writing Center. Establishing a satellite Writing Center at HMTCA enhances access to high-quality writing support and fosters literacy development. The presence of a satellite Writing Center not only benefits HMTCA students but also expands opportunities for Trinity tutors to engage in community-based writing pedagogy.
Beyond the academic year, partnership activities extend into the summer months through academic enrichment programs hosted on the Trinity campus. A quiet and empty Trinity campus during the summer comes alive with HMTCA students filling empty classrooms. Students participate in the Summer Writing Institute and Designing Your College Experience, led in partnership with the Allan K. Smith Center for Writing and Rhetoric and the Career and Life Design Center. Dr. Tennyson O’Donnell, Director of Allan K. Smith Center for Writing and Rhetoric, says, “Partnering with HMTCA for more than a decade has been immensely rewarding. The summer writing program gives students an early introduction to college-level concepts and rigorous writing. At a time when AI dominates classroom conversations, watching students invest deeply in their application essays and other projects gives me real hope. Seeing this partnership grow over the years shows its clear, positive impact on HMTCA students.” These programs introduce students to college-level writing and thinking while fostering creativity, self-knowledge, and a sense of belonging within higher education spaces.
Trinity further reinforces its commitment to HMTCA by hosting the school’s graduation ceremonies and senior athletic events—symbolic moments that reflect the deep sense of collaboration between the two institutions. Collectively, these initiatives demonstrate Trinity College and HMTCA’s shared commitment to using education as a foundation for community development. Through after-school tutoring, pre-college program opportunities, summer programming, an on-site Writing Center, and the hosting of major school ceremonies, both institutions collaborate closely to co-create programs that integrate community service, experiential learning, and academic enrichment.
HMTCA students bring energy, curiosity, and purpose to Trinity’s campus. Whether they are engaged in physical education across Trinity’s fields or walking down the Long Walk in their Phoenix uniforms, walking to Calculus, their presence serves as a daily reminder of the transformative potential of sustained, reciprocal partnerships between higher education institutions and their neighborhood schools.
